Heartlines
by schdiw
Summary: Book Five: Chaos. The remainder of Red Lotus has resurfaced, and is threatening the Earth Kingdom. To stop them, Team Avatar must join forces with an old enemy. Korrasami.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I have no idea what I'm doing. This show has seduced me into writing fanfiction. There is a plot, and some sort of Korrasami stuff. Please forgive me.

**Chapter 1 – Left My Heart in Republic City**

_"No. NO. You don't understand. The revolution has already begun. Chaos is the natural order of all-"_

"_You see what I did there? I put a sock in it. Literally!"_

"_Classic Bolin."_

Korra awoke from a half-remembered dream, her thoughts still fuzzy from sleep. She was searching around with one arm, but met only air, while attempting to untangle herself from twisted blankets. She felt a sudden sense of loss in realising she was alone, but couldn't place why.

"Right..." Korra whispered, feeling foolish. "We're back at Air Temple island."

She noticed voices trailing in from outside the room. Loud voices that punched through the thin wooden walls. _Mako?_ Korra jumped out of bed, now fully awake, deciding to pull on her boots and parka before joining the rest of them.

_What are they talking about? It sounds pretty serious..._

There was a lull in the conversation as the Avatar stepped into the room.

Tenzin and Suyin stood across from Mako, while Pema sat in the far corner, watching over the children outside. Asami was sitting nearby, looking dejected.

"Hey guys," began Korra sleepily. "When'd you get here, Mako? And... Su, you're here too?"

Korra was surprised to see Su there, but then remembered something Tenzin had said yesterday. She had decided to return to Republic City, determined to help bring back order to the United Republic, probably because she felt guilty over what had happened with Kuvira. Korra thought it was silly. It wasn't her fault. But she was glad for the extra help.

Unfortunately, her words were completely drowned out by the continuing argument.

"We can't just go off on a wild goose chase, not while the Earth Kingdom is in such disarray." said the metalbender.

"That's exactly why we need to go!" said Mako. "Suyin, you know that Ba Sing Se is a powder keg right now. Opal's out there too, you know." he said as an afterthought.

"So is my brother." said Tenzin. "Don't think that I don't have a stake in what's happening over there, but to act now is premature."

Korra felt a headache bristling behind her eyes and went to sit next to Asami, who seemed engrossed in the mover-screen.

"Huh... I didn't know that they had a TV here. Neat."

The news was on, repeating broadcasts of the riots and the recent terrorism, rolling black-and-white images of buildings reduced to smoking rubble. Korra looked from the screen and back to Asami, noticing that her gaze hadn't moved the whole time.

"-radio blackouts nothing! I'm telling you, something isn't right. Wu agrees with me. I thought you'd be the first to help us with all of this, isn't that the whole purpose of your _Airbending Nation_?"

"Mako, calm down." said Suyin. "Of course I care that my daughter is out there. Tenzin is just saying that we need to gather more information before we-"

"It could be too late by then. If you're not going to do anything, I'm contacting my people in the Earth Kingdom. I'm not waiting around for more bad news."

He turned on his heel, brushing past the two women. "Oh hey, Korra," said Mako half-heartedly.

"Hey, Mako, what's going on-"

He didn't stop, already striding out of the room.

"Uh... Good to see you too?"

With the others now talking amongst themselves, she put her attention back on Asami.

"Hey," she said softly, to no response. Korra bit her lip self-consciously, putting a hand on the other woman's shoulder. Asami's eyes immediately flickered up and locked with her own. She looked exhausted.

"Korra," she answered, trying to smile. "Sorry, I was thinking about-"

"Don't worry about it. How are you holding up?"

Asami's eyes darkened. "I'm okay," she said.

The mover-screen buzzed in the background with the annoying voice of the news reporter, who sounded way too excited while he reported on the destruction plaguing the city. They had been showing repeats of the continuous riots that had been going on for the last several days. They were only getting worse, even though Lin and her metalbenders were working tirelessly to bring peace.

"I guess I should be getting used to losing things by now," laughed Asami bitterly.

"I'm sorry," said Korra. "Maybe we shouldn't have taken that vacation..."

"No," said Asami. "That's one thing I'll never regret."

Korra held Asami against her shoulder, doing her best to give some small comfort, though she doubted it would help. Where had it gone all wrong? They had won the war. Defeated Kuvira. Varrick and Zhu Li had even gotten married. They'd deserved a break after all that, and travelling with Asami to the Spirit World had been some of the best weeks of her life.

Then they'd returned to Republic City, renewed. Ready to face any troubles that came their way. Together. Before the perfect illusion has been so rudely shattered.

Everything seemed fine at first. They settled back quickly into a routine – Bolin and the Airbenders had travelled back to the Earth Kingdom to help with the rebuilding, while Mako had went with Prince Wu to assist with implementing a new democracy. Asami helped to rebuild the city with all of the resources she held at her command as CEO of Future Industries. Suyin Beifong had escorted Kuvira to prison, deep in the deserts outside of Ba Sing Se, while the rest of her family had returned to Zaofu. It was all getting back to normal.

Now the Earth Kingdom was in open rebellion, Republic City was in chaos, devastated along with the prospects of Future Industries.

That was without mentioning that the Sato estate had burned to the ground.

_**Two weeks earlier**_

The yellow light faded from their eyes, revealing a vast expanse of vines, trees, and beyond, the broken skyline of Republic City.

"Thanks, Korra."

"For what?"

"That vacation was just what I needed."

"Any time," the Avatar smiled. "Honestly, after everything that happened, I just think I needed to get away. _We_ needed to get away."

Something was different now. It had been brewing for awhile now, though it had taken Korra far too long to realise what had changed between them.

It had just been the two of them – not counting the Spirits, and their visit to Iroh, for two whole weeks. Wandering, talking, camping under the stars. Easy companionship. Bolin would be too upbeat. Mako would be too sullen. Being with Asami was just... peaceful. Perfect.

And now it was back to normal. Korra frowned.

Asami steeled her shoulders. "I guess it's time to get back to the real world now, though. I should contact Future Industries... Help to get some sort of normalcy back in the city." she looked at the cracks in the buildings, the piles of rubble in the roads ahead, infrastructure broken apart from the spirit cannon and worsened by uncontrolled vines.

"Right now?"

"Korra, I have responsibilities..."

"I know that. It's just... We just got back. It's barely past dawn. No one's going to be awake for a few more hours, and I'm starving. How about we grab some breakfast? We can go to that place just by the park, and-"

"Alright," said Asami, relenting. "I guess the real world can wait just a bit longer."

Korra extended her hand to Asami and they walked over the rough, vine-covered ground that surrounded the portal. She expected it to be cleaned up, but most of the rubble and destruction of the city was still evident. The smell was different, though. During the battle it had been full of smoke and bitter fire, overlaid by acrid ozone from the devastating spirit weapon that had wreaked havoc through the town. Now the air was fresh, by Republic City's standards. The spirit vines seemed to be doing something to help clean up the air, Korra thought as she ran a hand over them.

They reached the edge of the forest that met with the cracked asphalt of the down-town roads. Hardly anyone was around, and the rising sun began to reflect orange fires on the dented skyscrapers around them.

"Umm." said Korra. "I just considered something."

"What?" asked Asami.

"The place I wanted to take us to, it's uh..." Korra paused. "It's not there any more." The Avatar ran a hand through her short hair, thinking. "I don't know where we can- What are you looking at?"

Asami started laughing. "I know it's not funny, but... your face."

"What's wrong with my face?"

"You just looked so disappointed."

"Well, they have really good noodles. Had. I don't really know many other places to eat around here... it was sort of our regular corner. Bolin and I used to go all the time."

"I don't think anything would be open at this time anyway, Korra."

"Oh, duh." she replied, glancing at the sun that had barely dipped above the horizon. "What do we do now?"

"Let's stop by my place. I'm sure I can rustle up something."

"Sounds perfect."

"You're just looking forward to more time alone with me, aren't you?" Asami laughed.

"No, that's not what I-" Korra stammered. "I was just thinking that you probably make really good breakfast so..." she finished lamely._ Why did she say that? Stupid._

"I was only teasing, Korra. If only you could see your face right now. You could rival a tomato."

"Are tomatoes a breakfast food?"

"I don't think so." wondered Asami. "Maybe only in the Earth Kingdom? I wonder how Bolin and Mako are doing over there."

"I'm sure they're fine." said Korra, face finally returning to its normal hue. "Come on, I want to see what the CEO of Future Industries' idea of breakfast is like."

"It's not Flamey-O's Instant Noodles, I can tell you that much."

Korra stuck out her tongue. "Maybe my tastes aren't that refined, but I happen to _like_ noodles."

"For breakfast? Not happening."

They were back to teasing each other again. Somehow, already, it seemed like they had taken a step back from each other. They hadn't acted like this in the spirit world, but maybe it was a special circumstance? They just had more responsibilities back in the city. There wasn't the freedom to mess around, even if Asami's hips did seem to have that hypnotising quality when she-

"We're here." interrupted Asami. "Home sweet home."

It was as impressive as it had been the first time Korra had visited, though the workshops hiding experimental mechs and Equalist tech were gone now. The gardens were overgrown, and spirit vines were starting to encroach on the estate, but the mansion itself was pristine.

"I hope you have a key," said Korra, glancing up at the formidable entrance.

"Don't need one," said Asami, walking up the platinum steps.

"How come?" asked Korra, bounding after her. They had almost reached the top when she received her answer.

A servant had foreseen their arrival and was gliding towards them in some kind of formal robes. He bowed his head, first to Asami, then to Korra. "Ms Sato." he said. "Welcome back to your estate. How can I be of service to you?"

"We'll be fine, Bau, but thank you."

"As you wish, madame. I will inform the others of your arrival."

"Others?" asked Korra as the man left.

"The servants that live on the estate. I guess it's kind of overkill since I haven't been around all that much lately, but I have to keep up appearances."

"Ah yes, a mighty CEO of Republic City can't be seen letting her estate fall to pieces." Korra said playfully. "By the way, maybe you should hire a new gardener." she said, looking back to the maze of hedges and topiary they had just passed. Near the front there was an overgrown bush that seemed to once have had a shape, but now it was slowly lost under the new growth. Korra bent her head sideways, trying to decipher the puzzle. "Is that a frog-squirrel, or a squirrel-toad?"

"I suppose I'll get to it eventually," said Asami, head already full of all the duties she would have to perform today. She made a mental note to meet with Varrick later in the day. "What do you want for breakfast, by the way?"

"I don't know," said Korra, turning back from the mess of the garden. "Surprise me."

They walked through the marble hallway to the main kitchen, while Asami waved away another overeager servant. It was a large room, functional and elegant, like the rest of the mansion.

"Want help?" asked Korra as Asami was searching in the cabinet for utensils.

"It's fine. Sit down," she offered, rummaging in the fridge for ingredients.

"All right then." Korra leaned back in a wooden-backed chair near the kitchen island, stretching her shoulders until they cracked. It was only then she realised how tired she was. Though it was only morning, they had spent most of the day roaming the Spirit World, their last day of vacation. She focused on the table to find a newspaper set at a perfectly straight angle.

"Huh, this is today's paper." she murmured. "Asami, do you think your servants lay a paper here every day?"

The sound of a sizzling frying pan and a whisk drowned out her voice. "What did you say, Korra?"

"Never mind," she said, grasping the cool paper between her fingers.

REPUBLIC CITY CHAOS CONTINUES – DOWNTOWN IN RUINS AFTER COLOSSUS RAMPAGE

Korra sighed. She would have to start dealing with this soon enough. She folded the paper and pushed it out of sight.

"Are pancakes okay?" asked Asami.

"Sounds good to me." replied Korra. Her gaze wandered as Asami navigated the kitchen with efficiency. _Is there anything this girl isn't good at? _She wondered.

The other woman noticed her staring, distracted from the job at hand. "Korra, if you really want something to do, you could get the juice."

"Juice?" asked Korra, startled into attention.

"Orange juice. It's in the fridge."

"Oh. Okay."

She found it quickly, waterbending the orange juice into two cups and placing them on the table. Asami had finished around the same time, laying down two plates of fluffy pancakes drowning in syrup. Korra's stomach started to growl. The last thing they had eaten had been some spirit fruit the day before. They'd eaten the stuff for three days straight after their supplies for the journey had ran out, both reluctant to return to the city. But civilization had its perks. "Wow, Asami, these are great!" said Korra, stuffing almost a whole pancake into her mouth.

Asami was more conservative, cutting bite-sized pieces off with a fork before eating. "I'm glad you like them." she said. "It's been awhile since I've had them, so I thought..." she trailed off.

"Mmm?" Korra raised an eyebrow at her to continue.

"They used to be my favourite," she said by way of explanation.

"I can see why," said Korra, whose plate was vanishing with alarming speed. "They're_ really_ good. You could open a breakfast café... If you weren't a rich heiress or anything."

"I'm not a heiress any more, Korra."

"Oh, right. Yeah." said Korra, cursing her choice of words. "Sorry for bringing up... you know."

"It's okay. I was kind of thinking about him anyway."

"You were?"

"He used to make pancakes whenever we had breakfast together. My mother did, before... then Dad kind of took over the tradition. When he had the time, I mean. The company took up most of it, so it was pretty rare, but, it was still really-"

"Asami," said Korra, sensing the woman starting to ramble. "Are you okay?"

Asami glanced sideways at Korra, her fork clattering sharply onto the plate. "Sorry," she said, referring to the noise. "I was just thinking. This is really my house now."

Korra looked confused. "It's always been your house, hasn't it?"

"No, I mean... Before, it seemed like I was just living there, just keeping things running until my Dad got out of prison. I always thought of it as his house. _The Sato estate_. Hiroshi Sato's mansion, not 'Asami's', but now..."

"I'm sorry. For everything that happened."

"It's okay." Asami said, just a little too quickly. "I guess I'm just getting used to it. I keep thinking over and over how I could have done something different. Maybe he could have got out too, if I'd realised..." she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"It was easier, before. When we were out in the Spirit World, it was like I didn't really have to face what happened. I was going to deal with it later, but now it_ is_ later."

"Yeah."

"I thought our vacation would help, and I had the time of my life, but now it's like all of these problems have built up into something I should have been working on before it got this bad. I haven't even figured out how we're going to replace the HQ yet."

"It's only been a few weeks. Republic City is still getting back on it's feet-"

"I know, but I feel bad about it. I should have been here helping, not-"

"Asami, you weren't running away. Just because we went on a break together doesn't mean you've been avoiding your responsibilities. You've done more to help this town than most people, and everyone knows it."

"I'm just glad that I got the chance to forgive him." said Asami. Her voice had gone oddly quiet.

Korra reached her hand across the table and grasped the other woman's. "Never think that you'll have to deal with this on your own. I'm here for you."

"Thanks, Korra."

"Hey, what are friends for?"

Asami pursed her lips before rearranging them into a half-hearted smile, and Korra realised too late that she'd said the wrong thing, _again_.

Korra attacked the rest of her cold pancakes, and both sat in silence, unsure of what more to say. What was she supposed to say? Friend? Girlfriend? Is that what they were now? She didn't want to presume, but she didn't like the idea that she had upset Asami even more. Maybe she was imagining things. She was probably more upset about losing her parents and company, and here she was getting insecure about a single comment. Get a grip, Korra.

She tried to take a sneaky glance at the other woman to find that their eyes locked immediately. Korra jumped to her feet in reflex. "I'll clean up," she said.

"No, that's alright, I'll-"

Korra was already scooping up the plates and cutlery. "Hey, you cooked breakfast, I clean up. It's only fair." she said, a bit of careful waterbending making light work of the chore, soap bubbles escaping into the air.

Asami looked on, confused at Korra's sudden nervousness. "Korra?"

The Avatar kept her back to Asami as she took her time to make extra-sure that the cutlery was perfectly spotless. The engineer sighed in frustration. "You forgot the mixing bowl."

"Oh," said Korra, leaning over the counter to place it in the sink. "Thanks."

Korra glanced around conspiratorially. The gardens were empty but for a few bird-leaf spirits that rested on the phone lines.

"All right, see you in the park tomorrow?"

"The one with the great big statue of me in it?" Korra grinned.

"That's the one."

"Hey, didn't you design that whole thing as part of your Future Industries contract? Was I on your mind that much?"

"The city council decided on the design, Korra."

"Yeah, sure." she replied. "Though I gotta say, I think that statue of me should be bigger."

Asami gripped the bridge of her nose, as if she was trying to stave off a headache. "Bigger?"

"Yep."

"It's the biggest thing in the whole park, Korra."

"It's alright, but have you seen that one of Avatar Aang?"

"That's not-"

"And the pose could be better, too." she thought. "How about this?" asked Korra, flexing her muscles. "Doesn't this look more like the Avatar that defeated the Una-Vatu spirit?"

She finally got the reaction she was hoping for, and Asami laughed. "You're impossible."

Korra just smiled in response. "You sure you don't want to come and visit Tenzin and the others?"

Asami shook her head. "I have a lot of things to do. I'll see you around lunchtime tomorrow?"

"Got it." said Korra. "Thanks for breakfast," The other woman smiled, turning away.

"Asami, wait."

She turned back, expecting Korra to say something else. Instead, Korra stepped forward, so close that Asami could feel the other woman's soft breath tickling her face.

Two hands rested upon Asami's shoulders, gently pulling her into a hug. Asami relaxed, a soft sound escaping her throat, and Korra tilted her head back to look up at her. She looked into her green eyes, wanting nothing more than to remove the sadness that had settled there.

"Korra, I-"

Their lips brushed together, words forgotten. They kissed almost hesitantly, while Korra's fingers teased through the woman's hair. After a few seconds, or maybe it was much longer, long enough for her head to start spinning, they separated, and Korra grudgingly let go of her, fingers brushing down her back. Asami let out a held breath, seemingly lost for words. Instead, she took the Avatar's hands with her own, fingers drifting over the contours of her knuckles.

"Uhm... I should probably get going," said Korra, though she wanted only the opposite.

Asami squeezed her hands once more before letting go. "I'll see you later," she said.

"Count on it," smiled Korra. She stole one last glance back at Asami before heading back towards Air Temple island. The city was just beginning to wake up, the rumble of Satomobiles echoing through the streets.

Tenzin would be up now, probably meditating. Pema would be chasing after little Rohan. Ikki would be driving the Air Acolytes to madness, and Meelo would be causing trouble.

She wondered if they'd be angry at her for running off after the wedding. She didn't think so, but it was possible. They had left a note, at least.

It didn't matter, Korra thought to herself. They'd deserved a vacation. Didn't they?

Stepping through the battered streets of Republic City, Korra was sure that it would be a beautiful day.


	2. Chapter 2 - Sense of Direction

**A/N:** The reviews were very appreciated. :) Sorry for the delay - life happened. This is an exposition chapter, mostly. More interesting stuff will actually happen soon, I promise.

**Chapter 2 – Sense of Direction**

Korra hopped off the boat, wishing she had her airbender staff. It hadn't taken long to find safe passage onto the island, and she could have waterbended over, but it was still slow compared to the ease of flying over with an air glider. The docks creaked underfoot as she took in the welcome sight of Air Temple island.

The peaceful atmosphere enveloped her immediately in contrast to the highly-strung atmosphere of downtown Republic City. Korra closed her eyes and took a deep breath of fresh air, smelling the salt on the wind. She would never tell Tenzin, but at that moment she wanted nothing but to sit on the veranda and meditate for a long time, just soaking in the harmony that pervaded the Air Nomad culture-

Korra had no chance to react when something collided directly with her chest, knocking her backwards. She was batted aside like a ragdoll, hitting the dock with an audible thump. Her eyes had opened immediately, her left hand rising in a fist to counter-attack, but everything was a shifting white, and something wet brushed her face, and she breathed in a lungful of dog breath.

"Ugh! Naga!" She was powerless under the huge paws of the polar bear dog, trying to wriggle free. "Alright, alright! I missed you too," she laughed, finally sitting up as Naga whined and wagged her tail.

Korra ruffled the fur on Naga's head once more before turning to the thunderous footsteps approaching the dock.

"It's Korra!" shouted Ikki. "She's back!"

"It's about time!" added Meelo, struggling with the winged lemur in his arms.

"Hey Ikki. Hey Meelo. " replied the Avatar. "It's good to see you too."

The lemur finally got free, scrambling onto Naga's back and sticking out it's tongue.

"Get down here Poki!" shouted Meelo, and Korra sidestepped as he leapt towards the confused polar bear dog.

Korra and Ikki retreated from them to the temple, nodding to a pair of White Lotus sentries, who were looking far too serious for what was happening around them.

"Guards, assist me with this scoundrel!" shouted Meelo from behind them. The three were running in circles, punctuated by Meelo's yells, Naga's barks and the squeaking of the ring-tailed winged lemur.

The sentries just looked at each other and sighed.

"Korra, how was it?" asked Ikki.

"How was what?"

"The Spirit World, duh. What's it like? Did Asami like it? Did you see any dragonfly bunny spirits?"

"It was great," said Korra, thinking back to the vacation. "I think Asami had a good time. I'm not sure if we saw any-"

"How about dragon bird spirits?" continued the girl, undeterred. "Did you climb Hai-Riyo peak? Do you think we could bring one of them out of the spirit world? I want to go there but Dad won't let me and Mom's been reading us the legends and Meelo says-"

"That's enough, Ikki." said a calm voice.

"Tenzin! I'm so glad to see you." said Korra. The airbending master looked like he was back to full health - the injuries suffered during the seige of Republic City had completely healed, all apart from the slight tiredness in his eyes, that could easily be mistaken for the airbending master's signature gravity. Pema was nearby with her toddler, and smiled in welcome.

The youngest airbender took the chance to squirm from his mother's arms, racing away, laughing.

"Rohan, come back!" shouted Ikki, running after her escaped brother. Meelo soon followed in a whirl of air.

"Walk with me, Korra," offered Tenzin. Just as they were climbing the steps to the plaza, there was a loud crash from where they had came from. They heard a shout from one of the kids and Pema's attempt to scold them.

"Good timing." said the Avatar.

"So how have things been? It seems lively as ever here," Korra began, trying to gauge Tenzin's mood. Her mentor seemed serious, but he always was, so it was nothing to worry about, was it?

"It's been a handful, especially since Jinora went back with Bolin to the Earth Kingdom," he said.

"Oh yeah..." said Korra. That whole business had completely slipped her mind. "How is that going? Since Kuvira's army-"

"It's settled down a lot. I heard from them a week ago, though there is still disorder in a few of the states. I'm confident that they'll fix it soon, however."

"Tenzin," began Korra. He was looking out across the bay towards Republic City. "What's been going on? You're not... I can tell. Are you angry that I ran off after what happened? I didn't mean-"

"No, no. We all know that you stopped Kuvira from destroying the city. No one can begrudge you a break after that."

"But I left right when everything was such a mess."

"Korra, you're the Avatar. When the world was threatened, you defended it. You can't fix everything that happened after - the people of the city had to reclaim it for themselves."

"Yeah, I guess. So what _is_ bothering you?"

"It's probably nothing."

"But maybe could be something?"

Tenzin sighed. "President Raiko has been locking up protesters. He wants to get them out of the way until the repairs to the city are completed, but it's not helping the situation."

"Didn't he learn anything from what happened with the Equalists? Wait, what are the protests about?"

"Well..." he rubbed the side of his nose.

"No way. Really?"

"I'm afraid so. Though they were discredited after the disappearance of Amon, the Equalists have become a popular viewpoint in the city. Perhaps with some of its more extreme elements removed."

"What _isn't _extreme about equalism? They want to take away bending from everyone. It's crazy."

"Well, officially they just want non-benders and benders to have equal treatment under the-"

"They already are equal. It's a waste of time." said Korra, letting out a puff of breath. "What do they want? To be _more_ equal than benders? Maybe Raiko had the right idea."

"They're protesting because they see benders as the cause of their problems. Kuvira was an earthbender, and she laid waste to-"

"_I'm _a bender, and I'm the one who stopped her!"

"I know, Korra. I'm just explaining the current situation."

The Avatar sighed. "Well, what do you want me to do about it?"

"The best way to settle things will be to get the city back up and running again. But I think there's something more at stake, and if there is... it's not going to be stopped then."

"Something like what?"

"The situation is escalating beyond what seems reasonable. I've been in contact with Lin, and she's arrested several of the protester ringleaders. She found out something interesting – they all have former ties to the Red Triad."

"The triad? I thought they all fell apart after Lightning Bolt Zolt had his bending removed."

"Just as in any power vacuum, I assume there was someone to take his place."

"And now they're trying to cause people to riot? Why?"

"I don't know. It doesn't seem to make much sense. Without a figurehead such as Amon was, there'd be no reason to sow discord in the city like this."

"I'll... look into it. I don't even know where to start."

"I have complete confidence in you," assured Tenzin.

She couldn't sleep. It wasn't uncommon, especially in the last several years, but she noticed the difference after returning from her vacation in the Spirit World. Though it was a dangerous and strange place, she had never had trouble dropping off in those weeks. Now, familiar insomnia had settled in, and she tossed and turned, Tenzin's words going over in her head.

She saw the protesters, but they were merely non-benders out after dark, shouting as the police held them back in metal bindings. Korra felt the shackles tighten around her own wrists as a shadow passed over her, and she expected her own face to be staring back at her, the spectre that she hadn't seen in months, glowing eyes that stared into her, and the rustle of chains that made her nerves stand on end.

Instead, the expressionless mask of Amon twisted in her mind. It went dark, then abruptly white as the world erupted around her in a deafening shriek and the smell of burnt metal. She was the world crumbling around her, saw Asami's stricken face as she was ejected from the dragonfly mech, reaching out a hand that would never again touch her father.

Korra grit her teeth. She looked up at the mountainous Colossus, the shine of platinum almost blinding her. The arm holding the spirit cannon It aimed its spirit cannon and purple light began to fill the air with the smell of ozone. The head of the giant mech was warped into Amon's maskless face, disfigured from faked wounds, and the world was set alight as the man laughed and laughed.

She woke up in a sweat. It was the most vivid dream she had had in awhile. The nightmares seemed to have lost some of their power while she had been in the spirit world, though whether that was due to a natural property of the place or due to Asami's presence, she wasn't sure.

Maybe Amon was behind all of this. It was a theory she had voiced to Tenzin earlier in the day. Five years since his defeat and disappearance. Surely he was out there somewhere, and maybe he had bided his time enough?

She ate breakfast with the rest of the Airbenders – white rice and Pema's signature dumplings, washed down with white tea. It was still early, but she wanted to get into the city to see Lin. She reclaimed her airbender staff, striding down the path, where a familiar friend came to greet her.

"Sorry, girl. I need to travel light today."

The polar-bear dog huffed, turning away. She ruffled the fur on her neck before opening the glider, allowing a gust of airbending to launch her up into the sky.

The chief of police was overseeing the repairs to downtown Republic City. The very centre, including Future Industries tower was considered lost, but there were plenty of blocks on the outskirts of the blast that had suffered severe, but repairable damage. Non-bending construction teams did what they could, but the real work was contributed by the metalbending police force, who could re-fit girders and meld together pulverised stone just as easy as a mason laid bricks.

Korra whistled as a team of officers straightened a whole building, cracks in the plaster melting away, bricks and mortar reforming themselves. It was only one-story high, but it was still impressive. She turned to Lin Beifong, who had just finished barking orders and now stood idle, arms crossed, sporting her signature pissed-off expression.

"I meant to ask you... What happened after the battle?" asked Korra. "I know I probably should have stayed to help sort things out, but it seemed like something that the United Republic had to sort out, instead... Like when the spirit vines first appeared in the city, I kept trying to fix everything but just made it worse. It wasn't mine to get involved in."

"You're probably right," said Lin. "Though I was pissed when I found out you'd disappeared. We wanted you as a witness to the Earth Kingdom War hearings, especially for Kuvira's trial."

"Wait, that happened already?"

"Yep." said the chief. "Su insisted. Most of the Earth Empire soldiers submitted to the Earth Kingdom after the battle. Some of the officers were imprisoned – the ones that managed the re-education camps, mostly. She insisted that Bataar Jr. be moved to Zaofu. He's there now under house arrest, somewhere Su can coddle him."

"And Kuvira?"

"They didn't go easy on her. The sentence was undefined, mostly up to the parole board. It'll be decades before she gets out, if ever. They put her in a wooden prison somewhere in the Earth Kingdom, near Ba Sing Se. I don't even know the full location."

"Is Suyin part of the parole board?"

"As the matriarch of Zaofu, she is. Why?"

"I don't think Kuvira ever has a chance of getting out if Su has something to say about it. She was so angry."

"Can you blame her?" asked Lin. "She took that girl into her house and was completely betrayed. Kuvira tried to murder her son."

"I was there," said Korra. "I don't know. Of course she should be punished, but Bataar built that weapon in the first place. He gets to go home, while Kuvira is locked up for the rest of her life? Doesn't seem like fair justice."

Lin faltered. "Bataar should have been imprisoned." she said, "but my sister is good at pulling strings. She brought up this defence that Junior was too enamoured with her to realise what he was doing - starstruck with love, all of that crap."

The earthbenders heaved another pillar into place, stabilising the crumbled building. They worked in teams, manipulating bricks and mortar, working as sculptors, until the edifice was once again perfect. Metalbenders fixed the shattered rebar, straightening the twisted loops of metal that littered the ground, ready to be woven back into the city like broken pieces of a puzzle board.

"Do you want my help with this?" asked Korra. "It looks like a lot of work."

"Don't worry about it." said Lin. "The only reason it's taking so long is that the city's built around those spirit vines now. Can't bend them, and if we piss them off too much they start growing into everything."

"Sorry," said Korra. "You know I can't help with that. The last time was fairly disastrous."

"Hmph," agreed Lin in her sullen way. "Have you spoken to Tenzin?"

"Yeah, in fact, I just came from air temple island. Why?"

"He's been keeping in touch with the Earth Kingdom. I'm surprised he hasn't said more about it."

"About what? He told me about the protesters, but we didn't discuss the Earth Kingdom at all."

"We can handle a few protesters. It's the unrest in Ba Sing Se you should be focusing on, Avatar."

"I thought it had settled down there," said Korra. "Is it still really bad?"

"Not as terrible as when the Earth Queen was assassinated, but now that the Earth Empire isn't keeping the peace any more, things are starting to fracture."

"The Air Nomads still in Ba Sing Se, aren't they?"

"As far as I know. They're working on replacing the monarchy with a republic, but last I heard it wasn't going so well. Suyin was pissed."

"What happened?"

"You should talk to Tenzin about it. I've got work to do, kid. I'll see you later." she said, already focused back on the repairs.

"Alright. Thanks, Lin."

She waited in Avatar Korra park, glancing up at the statue of herself.

"Still could be bigger," she pouted, leaning against the bridge. The weather was good, and several people were taking advantage of it, picnicing on the soft grass. Doing normal things. The battle had surely affected everyone in Republic City, but here were people just continuing with their lives, enjoying the day. It was good to see.

She watched for a time, enjoying the sun on her face, easing from one foot to the other when it became cramped. Slowly her smile turned into a frown. She had been here awhile. Where was Asami?

Just as she considered taking another look around the park to see if she had missed her, a hand tapped her on the shoulder. She whirled around faster than she could think, automatically raising her staff and dropping to a defensive pose.

"Excuse me, Avatar Korra?" said the voice. It belonged to a short man, out of place in the full suit he was wearing.

"Can I help you? Sorry, but I'm kind of waiting for someone-"

"I am here on behalf of Ms Sato."

"Asami sent you? Did she get held up?"

"The CEO is busy with a very important meeting and sends her apologies, but that she will have to reschedule."

"...Asami said that?"

"Not in those words, Avatar Korra."

"Uhm... Okay. When will she be free?"

"I don't have that information. I was just sent here to deliver the message."

"...Okay."

"Good day to you." he bowed slightly before leaving with efficiency.

"Huh." Korra scratched the back of her head, a pit falling in her stomach. "Guess I have to find something else to do."

She glanced back towards the streets.

Korra soared over the city. The spirit portal was harder to see in the daylight, but she could still notice the beam of light that stretched to the sky, illuminating downtown. It looked a mess. Though they were doing a lot to restore the city, the centre would always be lost to the spirit wilds. Already contractors were building on the outskirts of the city, extending the urban sprawl.

It was awful to see her home destroyed once again. First Amon's legacy had burned through the city, then her own kinsman as Varrick had tried to ignite a civil war. Then a superweapon had torn through the place. It was amazing that it was still standing, more amazing still that people still wanted to live there. Republic City was a bridge between the four nations much as the Avatar was the bridge between the people and the spirits. A shining example so bright that even the Earth Kingdom was now following in its stead.

She tilted the air-glider down and came in an arc, passing by the Sato estate.

"I wonder what Asami's doing," she muttered. "Busy. How can you be too busy to grab lunch?"

She didn't want to disturb her. Though she didn't pretend to understand the specifics, she knew Asami needed to get Future Industries on its feet if she was to have any peace of mind.

With one last look at the city, she turned the glider back out towards the harbour. She circled a couple of times, feeling bored. Asami was busy fixing Future Industries, the Air Nomads were fixing the Earth Kingdom, Lin and Tenzin had the city covered. What was there for her to do?

Finding out what the Triads were up to, for one. But how? She didn't even know where to start.

Korra turned back towards downtown where a group of metalbenders were working on crumbled buildings. She had to find some way to help.

"Kid, I already told you, we're fine here."

"Come on, chief. I don't have anything to do today. You're getting a free extra worker. And I bet I can lift twice as much rock as anyone on the police force."

Lin gave her a pointed look.

"Er... Except... you?"

The police chief sighed. "It's not just about lifting a few rocks, Korra. Weaving the metal into the buildings is tricky work. You only learned to metalbend a few years back. If you screw up, these buildings are just going to fall down again, except there might be people in them this time."

"I can do it. Just let me help."

Lin threw up a hand. "Join team two, on Market Street. They're short on manpower since officer Dashi didn't bother to turn up today."

"Got it!"

The sweat poured into her eyes. Korra considered herself a good metalbender, but the work of moving boulders and rebar all day was exhausting. She had toned out the noise at first, too busy with repairing the street, but now they were on a break and the sound of their chanting carried across the air.

"Why're you bothering, Avatar?" shouted one of the protestors. They had kept them back, out of the way, but this one had managed to slip through the lines, accosting them as she tried to eat a sandwich.

"What?"

"You know the city is just going to be turned into a war zone again. Why bother to fix it? Are you trying to make up for the damage you've caused? Are you trying to make up for your mistakes?"

"MY mistakes? What are you talking about-"

"President Raiko says that the Great Uniter only attacked Republic City because you wouldn't surrender to her. You caused all this destruction!"

"He said what? That's crazy." said Korra, standing up from the wall. "Kuvira was trying to conquer the United Republic! Are you saying you _wanted_ her to conquer the city?"

"If you had done your job, she wouldn't have been there in the first place!"

Korra felt heat rising in her face. They were just angry, it wasn't personal...

"Maybe our city wouldn't be in ruins! I would still have a home to live in! A job to go to!"

"Maybe you should be helping us instead of whining about it!"

"Do I look like a bender to you? You benders are all the same. You have no idea what it's like to be-"

Korra began walking away.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!"

A hand on her shoulder.

"What's going on?" said one of the police officers she had been working with. "You'll have to move back, sir. It's not safe for a civilian to walk through here."

"Whose fault is that?"

"Move back, sir." He continued, escorting the man away. Several more people were joining the argument, using the distraction to cross pass the police barrier.

"Protesters," grumbled one of the officers. "Seems like they've got nothing better than to shout abuse at us."

"Go back to your homes, or you'll be arrested for disturbing the peace!"

"Go ahead!" one shouted. "I have no home to go back to, thanks to her!"

"What did I do?"

"Ignore them, Avatar. They're belligerents."

"Non-benders, too, the lot of them," another muttered.

"Alright, let's clear this street. The council wants the water back on in this block as soon as possible."

They moved them on, but the words of the argument echoed in their heads. "Let's get back to work," said the officer.

"Pipes are burst. You know how to make plumbing forms?"

"Sure, I can-"

"It's complex stuff, Avatar. You get the specs wrong, and we'll have to dig the whole thing up again."

"How about I let you guys handle it."

The officer shook his head at her, as if she was getting in the way. He called the other officers to him, and soon metal was being bent and moulded with precision. Korra watched for awhile but soon grew bored at her inability to help them.

The protesters were still gathering in the street, one group on either side. At first she thought they were together, but then she noticed the difference in slogans, in the messages they shouted across the street, above the din of construction work.

One side were Equalists. That much was clear. The others didn't seem to know what they were protesting. They didn't even have signs. Some of them seemed to be drinking, fuelling their anger. If it got any worse, they would be the next group to land in the already overflowing cells.

Korra was trying to think of a way to defuse the situation when the ground began to creak under their feet. There was an ominous rumble from far away, and dust kicked into the air from the buildings a block away. She was about to set off towards it when an officer placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I've seen this before," said the woman. "That whole street is about to go down, Avatar. Stay out of the way."

"I can help. This is what I'm good at," she said, with the bravado of an earlier time.

The officer shrugged as she slipped out of her grip, racing towards the doomed buildings.

Benders clustered around the rubble. Several people had climbed free, from the belly of the basement that was currently shattering inwards. They were trying to hold it up, but the sheer mass of concrete was winning the battle against their strength.

"Are there people trapped down there?" said the Avatar, breathing heavily.

"All of the workers are accounted for, but the Chief is still-"

"Lin." said Korra. "I'm going down there."

"Avatar, it's too dangerous-"

"Get out of my way." she said, as the rumbling beneath their feet grew louder. The officer relented, unwilling to get in the way of the person that had the power to stop the beam of a spirit cannon.

The whole system seemed about to collapse. The officers dropped what they were doing and flared out their hands in a series of sharp motions, then went still, tensing as if they were each hauling an invisible rope.

"Get the chief," pleaded one of them, but she was already in the thick of the rubble, diving into the breach.

Wires crackled overhead, and she was ankle-deep in water from where the pipes had burst, filling the basement. She had heard one of the officers say that Lin was working to fix the sewer network, but it couldn't be right, not unless-

Ah. The basement opened up into the tunnels, where it had been blasted apart. They must have been using the building as an access point to fix the block's water supply when it all started coming down.

The ceiling creaked overhead, and for one horrible moment Korra was sure that it would collapse on her. She quickened her pace.

She could see Lin Beifong at the end of the tunnel. Her silhouette was outlined in a cloud of dust, and she could hear muttered swears. The rubble above shuddered as the figure dropped to one knee, shaking.

"Get out of here, Avatar." said Lin. "I can't hold this for long."

"Everyone else got out. We need to go."

"I can't-" she breathed heavily. "If I move, the whole thing is going to collapse on both-" she breathed again, "- just leave, NOW!"

"Not a chance." said Korra. She knew how to do it. The plan was already forming in her mind. It would have to be quick.

The ceiling shook ominously. There was no time left to think.

Korra metalbent Lin towards her, holding up one hand as a shield while the rubble fell. It started crumbling almost immediately, the world going dark around them. Something sharp hit her shoulder, and she felt herself running, but couldn't remember when she had began. Something brushed past her, and she realised that Lin was by her side. She shouted something, but couldn't hear over the deafening crash.

Something sharp hit her head, and she fell sideways. Dust piled in her lungs as the building came down.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Small update because that cliffhanger last chapter was too mean. Again, not edited. I'll get to it some time. Enjoy~

**Chapter 3 - Repose**

The water splashed on her head. She didn't remember when the light had returned, the beam that stretched above the city angled sharply in the sky, until it was swallowed by the clouds. Memories of being launched out of the Colossus swirled around her, and she grabbed at the rough gravel on the floor, not caring when it sliced into her palm. Where was Kuvira? She had to stop her, wherever she was, but the ground was coming towards her and she couldn't find a way to stand.

"I've got you," said a voice, grey hair swimming in front of her. The strong hands pulled her upwards and Korra let out a gasp where they settled unkindly on newly-bruised ribs.

Korra only just realised the shouting when her eyes managed to focus on the police officers surrounding her. There was an annoying thumping in the background, a bitter taste at the back of her throat. She didn't need to ask why the feeling seemed so familiar to her. It felt exactly like what followed after Katara's healing sessions - the confusion and vertigo, far worse afterwards than when they had started. But she had healed. Bended the poison right out of herself after Toph had convinced her how. She didn't need to go through all of this again, did she?

"The rubble is still settling," said an officer, grey-faced from the dust that had settled all over his uniform. "Get the chief and the Avatar out of here."

"Get up, kid." said Lin. "I know you're tougher than this."

She stood, but that was a generous term for it. The chief took most of her weight, even though her shoulder-plate was dented, and a long rip in her sleeve where blood oozed out from a wound.

The light grew brighter. There were only a dozen stairs, but it felt like a hundred. She climbed to the top and almost went over onto her knees.

"I can do it," said Korra, untangling herself from supporting arms. The breaths were coming easier now, the metal bands around her lungs loosening up. She shrugged, plaster dust tumbling off her shoulders.

"You're alright," said Lin. "I bended most of it away, but a piece must have caught you in the side."

"More than a piece," muttered Korra.

Lin grimaced, examining the wound on her arm.

"That looks pretty bad," worried Korra. "Here, let me heal it."

She reached out, but Lin held her at bay. "The medics will see to it. You can barely stand as it is."

"I'm fine," complained Korra, though the world was still faintly swaying. The iron bands were back, and she struggled to take a full breath.

"You don't look fine, Avatar. Just try to breathe for now." said the Chief.

"I just need a minute," said the Avatar, slumping to the ground. She tried to focus on the teachings that Tenzin had given her, back when she had first come to Republic City. Clear the mind. Have patience. would be easier if she could take a full breath. She couldn't fail like this now, but she felt as if she were slipping further and further away, could do nothing to stop it, just like when-

Korra heard a shout from far away as she hit the ground.

"What do you mean accident?" asked the CEO of Future Industries. A headache was already building behind her eyes when the phone call came. She had been working since before the dawn, trying to straighten out the mess that had become of her company since leaving Varrick in charge. Even Cabbage Corp didn't make these kind of mistakes. Though the man was a genius, he did follow his wacky ideas wherever they went. This time, they just weren't profitable, and there was no way they could market the spirit vine technology. Even used for peaceful purposes, it was still far too dangerous to let into public hands. The board were starting to doubt her, the one who had kept things afloat for three years while her father languished in prison. She had practically rebuilt the city single-handedly, but leave it alone for a few weeks and they were already trying to get rid of her.

It had been a long day of negotiations, renewing contracts and settling terms. She hated to bail out on Korra, but she hadn't even been able to leave the meeting, nevermind taking lunch and a stroll around the city. It was just after seven when she was promising herself that she would continue tomorrow, that she definitely deserved to go home and spend some time with the Water Tribe girl, maybe a picnic under the stars...

No one had told her. It had happened hours ago, minutes after the meeting had began, after they had removed the phones so they could get the work done faster. A building had collapsed with Korra inside. She hadn't been seriously injured - they had bended the rubble around them as it fell, all three stories of it onto their head. They weren't seriously injured. She didn't know what she would do if they had been. It had been bad enough to see Korra being slammed into the ground, chains around her wrists and ankles, so still for a moment that she had thought she was dead. It was bad then, but now she knew her. They had been through so much together. How cruel would it be for the both to survive so many things and then be snuffed out in a freak accident? It was unthinkable.

Asami felt the roar of the engine as she pressed down on the pedal of the Satomobile. Not seriously injured. Then why didn't they let her speak on the phone? Korra would have been healed by one of the White Lotus sentries. She was at Tenzin's house, she knew. Why didn't they let her talk to her?

The ferry was just up ahead. She hoped it was still running at this hour. Heck, if it wasn't, she would commandeer it herself.

The room came back slowly, first as sensation. She was lying down on something soft. The world seemed to have ceased its spinning. There was a faint sound of people in the distance, and wind chimes, and rain. She took in a breath, expecting a stabbing pain in her ribs, but it honestly wasn't as bad as she expected.

Korra felt a hand on her cheek as she stirred. She felt like she had been dropped from a great height, but she smiled when she saw the dark-haired woman looking down at her.

"Asami?"

"You're alright." she said, brushing the hair from Korra's face to get a better look. The bruises had almost faded, a ghost of what they had been coming out of the collapsed tunnel.

"Yeah..." said Korra, beginning to sit, wincing at the ache in her spine, blinking repeatedly to try and focus her eyes. "It was kind of an eventful day. The healers fixed me up fine though, see?"

"I could have lost you."

"You didn't." said Korra. "I'm fine, Asami. Really."

"Let's go out."

"Wait, what? Like now?"

"I don't mean right this second," said Asami, finally smiling. "I'm sorry about bailing on you today. The schedule was just crazy and I couldn't leave the meeting and then I got this phone call-"

"It's okay. I know things have been kinda crazy since we got back." she said. "Maybe... We could go out to dinner or something? Anywhere you like."

"I'll take a few hours off tomorrow." she assured.

Korra faltered. "Uhm... How about the day after? My head still kind of hurts. I think a building fell on me." she smirked, which Asami didn't look pleased about at all. "But... Aren't you too busy? Needing to get Future Industries back in the game and all..."

The older girl pressed a kiss to her forehead as gently as possible. "I'll figure something out. There's no way I'll let it get in the way of spending time with my Avatar."

Their eyes passed over each other, and Korra took in the worry and happiness in the CEO's green eyes.

"Sorry for making you worry-" Korra muttered, the apology muffled at the end as Asami leaned over her.

"They wouldn't tell me what happened to you." Asami said. "I thought..."

"Hey." Korra stopped her. "I'm a fully realised Avatar. I've battled world-shattering spirits, Equalist bloodbenders, and even a crazed dictator piloting a giant mecha suit. A little rubble falling onto my head is nothing. Plus, Lin was there to save my butt."

"Lin was there?"

"They really didn't tell you much about what happened, huh?"

"Well, Tenzin tried..." Asami admitted. "But I was so worried, I just came straight in here and wouldn't leave. You didn't wake up for several hours."

"Needed to catch up on my sleep, I guess. That reminds me," said Korra. "Lin told me to talk to Tenzin about what's been happening in the city. I was going to go straight away, but then I got distracted." she flipped her legs over the side of the bed, about to stand, but two hands on her shoulders softly held her back.

"Uhm... Asami?"

"They're asleep." she said.

"What?"

"Korra... Do you even realise how late it is?" she asked. "It's the middle of the night."

Korra blinked, noticing how dark it was around the edge of the windows. She let herself relax back into the other woman's arms. "I didn't know that I was out for so long," she said, suppressing a yawn. "I'm still pretty tired, actually."

"Then sleep. We can sort things out tomorrow."

"Won't they mind that you're in here? I mean..." Korra blushed. "Not that I mind, it's just hasn't anyone said anything about-"

"It's fine. Pema came in earlier to check on you, but she said that I could stay as long as I wanted."

"In this room?" asked Korra again, earning her a punch on the shoulder from Asami.

"Ow."

"Just please relax, Korra. You still need to rest. If you want me to go, I'm sure they'll let me stay in one of the other-"

"No." said Korra, running a hand through Asami's hair. "I'd really prefer it if you stayed."

"Then it's settled." she said, cautiously rubbing Korra's back. She frowned when her eyes settled on a mark on the Avatar's arm, slightly lighter than her usually dark skin.

"What's wrong?" asked Korra, sensing the change in mood.

"Did you get that today?"

"Yeah... I guess I did. One more for the collection, right?" Korra quipped.

"I don't like seeing you hurt." Asami said. "If you could just spend a couple of weeks staying out of trouble-"

"It kinda comes with the territory," said Korra, leaning back on the bed. She patted the space next to her, and Asami eased in next to her, one hand resting on Korra's stomach.

"I'll try to be more careful," said Korra, leaning close enough to the other woman that her breath tickled her throat.

"You better be," said Asami. "Or just stick with me. I'll make sure you're safe."

"That's no joke. I wouldn't want to be on the wrong end of one of those Equalist gloves."

"Sleep." said Asami.

"I'm not actually that tired," said Korra, but she punctuated each word with a yawn. Before long she had fallen into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

Asami fell asleep not long after, but not before she had contented herself with watching Korra drift off, her breath turning into soft snores. Even her _snores_ were cute. How could someone be that perfect?

She tightened her grip around Korra's midsection and closed her eyes.


End file.
